Political divisions

• 1920-30's. Political divisions in Germany.
• Divisions between liberals and socialists:

  1878 Bismarck had banned socialist parties. Socialists hoped liberals would oppose the measure and defend the rights of socialists. However, the liberals supported the policy of banning the SPD. The SPD no longer trusted German liberals and collaboration between socialists and liberals became difficult.
• Divisions between conservatives and nationalists:

  did not trust socialists. Conservatives and some liberals feared that the SPD would strip the rich of their property and organise a violent revolution. The main 'bourgeois' parties would not collaborate with the SPD.
• Divisions between SPD and communist KPD

  emerged in 1917 and deepened in 1919. Following the 1917, Bolshevik revolution in Russia, Russian communists turned against socialists imprisoning them and sometimes torturing and killing them. SPD feared a communist revolution in Germany would lead to the KPD persecuting the SPD. 1919 - the SPD authorised military actions against KPD rebels in Germany's major cities. The relationship between SPD and KPD deteriorated, meaning that the 2 parties could not work together.
• Effects of divisions:

  Divisions were reflected in the way people lived. SPD had its own newspaper, bars and sports clubs. Other parties and religious divisions had similar arrangements. Catholic and Protestant choirs, nationalist and socialist choirs. Political divisions were reinforced by social divisions. Made gov tricky because proportional representation meant it was difficult for a single party to win a majority in the Reichstag and therefore coalition govs were necessary where parties had to work together.